Page 82 of Anatomy of the Immortal Species
The train clattered down the tracks, carrying them deeper into the cave. Amelia’s heart pounded, her fingers clutching thewagon’s railing.
Darkness engulfed them and the air grew colder, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to bristle. She couldn’t see anything, but perceived they were in a very narrow tunnel, moving forward and downward. And she couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling that someone was watching them.
Amelia kept reminding herself that Viktor and Alex, being lycanthropes, and Zacharia, half-lycanthrope, had better night vision and would spot any threat. But no amount of reassurance could make her muscles relax. She was just about to lose it when a pale light filtered through the dark. It was coming from some light bulbs, which were lined up like Christmas lights along the tunnel walls. They illuminated the countless stalactites and stalagmites filling the cave.
The train emerged from the tunnel into a spacious hall. Her breaths easing in the light, Amelia inspected the incredible natural formations. Rocky spears hung so low in some places that Nyavolski had to lean and bend to avoid colliding with them.
A flicker in her peripheral vision caught Amelia’s attention, and she jerked to her right. Initially, there appeared to be a yellowish-white shape crouching on the edge of the cliff, but it turned out to be nothing more than a stalagmite, illuminated by an eerie glow.
For ten minutes, the train rattled down narrow corridors and wide halls with languid speed, the deposits on the walls and ceiling stirring her imagination. In the interplay of light and shadows, Amelia visualised all sorts of human and animal shapes. At one point, she even thought she spotted the Devil’s carved face, but it was just a trick of her senses.
Finally, the train stopped in a wide hall with three identical archways leading to other halls. Nyavolski hopped out of the wagon, muttering, “Damn it, damn it!”
“Shush!” Helena scolded him with a stern expression, though the whiteness of her knuckles on the handle of her medical kit betrayed her nerves.
“It’ll be your fault if they bury us in this cursed hole!”
“Who’d want to bury you?”
Viktor ran his hand through his dishevelled black hair, which seemed even wilder after the ride. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Shame we can’t walk around.” Alex dug through her bag, pulled out a cell phone and started snapping pictures. “This place is incredible! A whole new world. I’d stay here for hours!”
Amelia had no idea how deep underground they were, but knowing there was no easy access to fresh air and sunlight would have triggered a panic attack in the past. Now, icy waves ran up and down her body, but her chest didn’t tighten in warning. She breathed a small sigh of relief.
“He said the middle hall,” Helena said and headed that way.
Amelia followed, still taking in her surroundings, while the others trailed behind her. Before she even set foot inside the middle hall, she caught the glint of rows of gilded sarcophagi, lined up in symmetry down the hall’s length.
“Now that’s creepy! And so cool!” Alex exclaimed, taking more shots with her phone.
“Are we allowed to take pictures?” Amelia asked.
“Nobody said we aren’t…”
Alex paced down the corridor between the coffins.
Helena started issuing orders. “Nyavolski and Viktor, stand at the other two entrances! Turn up your supernatural senses to a thousand per cent. And don’t let anyone into the hall before I’m done. Even if it means risking your lives!”
Nyavolski crossed his arms. “So, I’d better die before I interrupt your little endeavour?”
“Precisely.” Helena lifted her chin. “Amelia and Zacharia will come with me. And Alex…” The nymph glanced around for thegirl, spotting her at the end of the hall, taking a selfie. “Someone will have to remind me why I agreed to involve her. Come here, girl! We brought you with us to guard the entrance!”
Amelia padded into the space between the first two coffins. Unlike the human sarcophagi, these were more like gilded beds with oval lids. There were no symbols or images, only a golden plate at the base with a name, brief information, and slot numbers.
“There must be about a ton of gold here.” Helena moved to the first sarcophagus, whispering while they searched for their supposed ancestor’s grave. “This one’s labelled twenty-one… I don’t think they’re ordered numerically.”
Amelia read the nearest slab, “Seven.” And below:John Cloe, vampire, 231-2000. The fastest vampire on Earth.“Fastest vampire on Earth? Is there some sort of Guinness World Records in the immortal world?”
“There’s no need for that,” Helena said. “Anyway, most of the record holders are creatures. Incredibly bored creatures.”
Amelia moved to the next sarcophagus, labelled as twenty-two, right next to number seven. It read:Camila Devis, nymph, 903-1211. Creator of the blind alphabet.“What’s the blind alphabet?”
“They say that during the eleventh century, many children were born blind and gained their sight after becoming immortal. Camila created this method so they could read and learn until they could see… Where is that damned number fifteen?”
“Why do you insist on getting DNA specifically from him?”
“I don’t. But imagine if that Vlas person walks in and finds me hovering over Camila Devis’ sarcophagus? How am I going to explain why I’m poking her with random tools if I’ve come for Sergei Davidoff?”
